CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS

The eye test is made to be an easy and fun experience!  Don’t’ worry if the child can’t read yet there are other ways to check the standard of vision using pictures and colour.

Children’s eye tests are free under the NHS up to the age of 16 and teenagers under 19 in full time education.  We can give you an NHS voucher to be used towards the cost of spectacles if needed and we can fulfil any prescription from the hospital. We have free spectacles for children on the NHS.

All children should have a full eye examination before they start school and regularly throughout their school life.

Pre-school screening is important to have.  Your children’s eyes should be tested from a young age to make sure their vision is developing correctly.  A child’s vision is fully developed by the age of 8 and so we recommend having your children’s eyes checked as young as 3 or 4 but certainly before starting school.

Children themselves will rarely complain about their eye sight but if you notice that one eye turns in or out then it is vital to check the eyes, even under the age of three years, so that advice and appropriate treatment can be started as early as possible.  Maybe they sit too close to the television, hold objects very close to their face, rub their eyes a lot and overly blink – if so an eye test will show whether it’s just a habit which you can be reassured about or if there’s a problem which can be addressed.